The uncomfortable truths of adaptive reuse: faith-to-faith conversion of religious heritage buildings in conflict environments

Abstract

ABSTRACT Despite being regarded as a sustainable conservation strategy for safeguarding the material fabric of disused built heritage, adaptive reuse is an ethically problematic practice when considering faith-to-faith conversions of defunct religious buildings in politically complex environments. This paper aims to explore the scope of the spatial transformations and symbolic representations involved in such conversions, as well as their ramifications on the pre-existing memory and identity of the place. Theoretical explorations are illustrated with empirical data from fieldwork on church-to-mosque conversions in northern Cyprus. The paper argues that faith-to-faith adaptive heritage reuse undoubtedly aids in the protection of the architectural fabric of disused structures from ruination and preserves their original architectural expressions. However, the practice becomes contentious when former users continue to claim rights to the religious site, as the theological principles and power politics shaping the conversion can potentially ignore their religious values and material culture. But more importantly, when sacred and secular merges and nationalist representations emerge on the religious heritage sites, it radically transforms the identity and pre-existing memory of the landscape, aggravating the tension regarding the former and current users’ rights to these sites.